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Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

NaREC Offshore and Drivetrain 

Test Facility Collaboration

Cooperative Research and 

Development Final Report

CRADA Number: CRD-04-140

NREL Technical Contact: Walt Musial

CRADA Report

NREL/TP-5000-62509

August 2014
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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Cooperative Research and Development Final Report

In accordance with Requirements set forth in Article XI.A(3) of the CRADA document, this document is 

the final CRADA report, including a list of Subject Inventions, to be forwarded to the Office of Science 

and Technical Information as part of the commitment to the public to demonstrate results of federally 

funded research.

CRADA Number: CRD-04-140

CRADA Title: NaREC Offshore and Drivetrain Test Facility Collaboration

Parties to the Agreement: National Renewable Energy Center (NaREC)

Joint Work Statement Funding Table Showing DOE Commitment:

Estimated Costs NREL Shared Resources

Task 1 $ 20,000.00

Task 2 $ 66,000.00

TOTALS $ 86,000.00

Abstract of CRADA Work:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Renewable Energy Centre 

(NaREC) in the United Kingdom (UK) have a mutual interest in collaborating in the development of fullscale offshore wind energy and drivetrain testing facilities. NREL and NaREC will work together to share 

resources and experiences in the development of future wind energy test facilities. This Cooperative 

Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) includes sharing of test protocols, infrastructure cost 

data, test plans, pro forma contracting instruments, and safe operating strategies. Furthermore, NREL and 

NaREC will exchange staff for training and development purposes.

By 2012, NaREC plans to have a 100 megawatt (MW) offshore wind research and development site in 

operation in waters off the coast of the UK where prototype commercial wind turbines can be deployed 

and tested. NREL, as the leading laboratory for offshore wind in the United States, has an interest in 

developing U.S. ocean test facilities to facilitate the development of new wind turbine technology for 

deployment, demonstration, evaluation, and validation in U.S. waters. NREL and NaREC will work 

together under this CRADA to share resources and experiences in the development of future ocean wind 

energy test facilities.

NREL operates the only drivetrain test facility in the United States that is capable of performing full-scale 

testing of mega-watt-size wind turbine drivetrains. NREL has obtained extensive drivetrain testing 

experience using its 2.5-MW dynamometer over the last decade. NaREC is planning a 15-MW drivetrain 

testing facility for accelerated drivetrain testing. This CRADA will leverage NREL’s experience testing 

and operating its 2.5-MW dynamometer to support NaREC’s commissioning of the NaREC drivetrain test 

bench. NaREC will send up to two staff to NREL for secondments up to six months in duration for 

training by dedicated NREL staff. In addition, NaREC staff will be allowed to observe operational 

procedures and best practices in NREL’s 2.5-MW dynamometer by assisting with customer tests (subject 

to customer approval).
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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

NaREC is a corporation organized under the laws of the United Kingdom with a principal place of 

business at Eddie Ferguson House, Ridley Street, Blyth, NE24 3AG, UK.

Summary of Research Results:

NREL and NaREC collaborated in the development of full-scale offshore wind energy and drivetrain 

testing facilities. NREL and NaREC worked together to share resources and experiences in the 

development of future wind energy test facilities. Under the CRADA NREL shared test protocols, 

infrastructure cost data, test plans, pro forma contracting instruments, and safe operating strategies to help 

NaREC establish a large blade testing capability in their facilities at Blyth UK. NREL and NaREC also 

exchanged staff for training and development purposes under the blade structural testing activity as well 

as the development of NaREC’s dynamometer.

Under this CRADA NREL supported NaREC in the planning of the NaREC drivetrain test bench. 

NaREC sent staff members to NREL to be trained by dedicated NREL staff. In addition, NaREC staff 

observed operational procedures and best practices in NREL’s 2.5-MW dynamometer by assisting with 

tests.

Subject Inventions Listing:

None

Report Date:

June 9, 2014

Responsible Technical Contact at Alliance/NREL:

Walt Musial

This document contains NO confidential, protectable, or proprietary information.